Improvement in fences



G. H. PHELPS.

Fence.

No. 202,752. Patented April 23, I878.

INVBNTOR WITNESSES: @fillw. 6 h! ATTORNEYS.

N, PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES H. PHELPS, OF WILLIAMSFIELD, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JAYNES SAMUEL BUELL, OF ANDOVER, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202,752, dated April 23, 1878; application filed February 11, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HILTON PHELPS, of VVilliamsfield, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Fence, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to produce a cheap, strong, light, and durable picket-fence.

The invention consists in the combination, with the fence-pickets, of T-rails, formed of two side bars riveted to the pickets, and slotted top bars secured to the side bars by keys through the pickets, and in the combination, with two rails of a picket-fence, of a post having a cross-bar or anchor secured to the fence by brace-rods and a yoke, as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of a portion of a picket-fence constructed according to my present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken on the line as a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same, taken on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a top View of a T-rail. Fig. 5 is a detail.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A are the pickets of the fence. B are two T-rails, the leg of each of which consists of two side bars, 0, of band-iron, between which the iron pickets A are secured, at suitable distances apart, by rivets a.

The top flan ge of the Trail consists of a bar of band-iron, I), provided with slots b out through them at the same distance apart as those of the pickets A, and of proper size to admit of inserting the pickets through the said slots so that the top bar I) may be let down over the pickets, and placed to rest upon the edges of the side bars 12, on which they are tightened in place by the keys or wedges O, inserted in holes made in the pickets A.

The key 0 serves the double purpose of holding the top bar 12 and the side bars I) of the rail B together, and of preventing the pickets A and rails B from oscillating upon the rivets a as pivots, thereby giving rigidity to the fence.

The lower T-rail B is notched at c in its lower edge to receive at right angles the upper end of the post D, which has a similar notch or recess, d, of suitable w dth to receive the edge of the lower rail B. By the said two notches or recesses the post and the rail are kept from getting out of place either longitudinally or transversely.

The post D has a cross-bar, through the ends of which are brace-rods F, threaded at the upper ends, by which they are inserted in holes in the ends of a yoke, G, resting on the top flange b of the upper rail B, and secured by nuts g.

The fence is supported at suitable points by a series of these posts, D, which are inserted in the ground deep enough to cover the crossbar E some six inches, to steady the fence.

By tightening one of the nuts 9 more than the other an inclination of the fence, consequent upon frost in the ground, or from other cause, may be readjusted in a vertical position.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the fence-pickets A, of the T-rails B, formed of the two side bars I), riveted to the pickets, and the slotted top bars I), secured to the side bars by the keys C through the pickets, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a picket-fence, of the pickets A, keyed and riveted T-rails B, constructed as described, the post D, anchor E, brace-rods F, and yoke G, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES HILTON PHELPS.

Witnesses:

B. D. MORLEY, J. S. MORLEY. 

